Where are all the workers?

Construction Forms in Port Washington recently upgraded the quality of the coffee it offers employees.

That sounds like a minor thing, but in today’s tight labor market, those little things matter, Chief Executive Officer Stefan Brosick said.

“They wanted better coffee. We’re going to give them that,” he said. “We’re asking them what they would like changed, and we’re working that list. We’re painting, moving and changing in the office and on the floor. We’re transforming our business, top to bottom, through employee engagement.”

The company will also be opening a school in the next month to train welders, a career that Brosick said is a “hot job” in the region. The school will be open to people of all ages, whether they have any experience or not, are employees of the company or come from outside the firm.

Once they complete their schooling, the students can stay with Construction Forms or move elsewhere.

“It’s a pretty good opportunity to get paid to learn a craft,” Human Resources Director Amy Wangerin said. “We think this will help set us apart.”

That’s what today’s tight labor market requires — businesses setting themselves apart in order to attract and retain workers, said Kathleen Cady Schilling, executive director of Ozaukee Economic Development.

“They really need to be innovative,” she said. “Businesses are looking at increasing pay, signing bonuses, referral bonuses, longevity bonuses, insurance benefits.

“I think before there was a perception that employers were dominant. Right now, employees have more of the upper hand.”

Most businesses across Ozaukee County, be they in industrial, retail or service industries, are looking for workers, Cady Schilling said.

Perhaps nowhere is the shortage more visible than in the hospitality industry, especially restaurants and taverns.

“It’s never been this challenging,” said Angel Tello, longtime owner of Tello’s Grille  and Catering in Port Washington. “It is impossible to find people right now. And once you find them, it’s almost impossible to keep them.”

Tello noted that when people apply, “we don’t ask for experience or anything. We say, ‘You’re hired. Can you start tomorrow?’”

But even that doesn’t guarantee you have an employee, Tello said, noting a common response is “I need to think about it.”

He is fortunate to have a core group of employees and family members working for him, Tello noted, but they, too, receive job offers on a regular basis.

“They might have seven job offers a day,” he said.

Tello said that his employees are working long shifts — as long as 12 hours a day — and he has had to cut hours at his restaurant because he can’t find enough people.

“We depend a lot on the employees,” he said. 

A similar story was told by Rich Plier, owner of Plier’s Full Circle restaurant on Port’s north side, who said he’s fortunate to have a core group of eight to 10 workers who followed him from his days at Newport Shores to his restaurant.  

“Everybody’s working a 12-hour day,” he said. “It wears on you after a while.”

He recently tried to hire a dishwasher, and, “there wasn’t one 16-year-old who applied,” Plier said. 

Even when he finds employees, Plier said, he’s not out of the woods because they will often abruptly leave.

“Just when you think you’re covered, you’re not,” he said. “It’s tough out there to find help. 

“Everybody’s got signs out, ads. I can’t imagine starting a business right now and having to find everyone.”

The lack of employees is putting a limit on what he can do, Plier said, noting his restaurant could be open more often if he had the staff.

The labor shortage is acute now, but Cady Shilling said the problem goes back years.

“After Covid-19 hit, you saw some people change career paths,” she said. “I think there are people who decided to drop out of the job market entirely.

“But prior to Covid, we were already experiencing a labor shortage. A lot of businesses had challenges with the workforce.” 

Part of that, she said, is demographics. 

“We don’t have enough young people moving into the area,” Cady Schilling said, noting this is an issue not just locally but throughout the state. The state had been working on a marketing campaign targeting this age group but it fell by the wayside with the pandemic.  

Ozaukee Economic Development was working on a program to help county businesses attract workers before the pandemic struck, Cady Shilling said, but it wasn’t a priority with Covid-19.

Now, it has become a priority for everyone, she added, noting employers are trying every means possible to try and attract workers.

One of the first things workers and businesses are eyeing is salaries and benefits.  

“It’s definitely compensation as a whole that they’re looking at,” she said, whether it be insurance benefits, paid time off or wages. But such things as training and remote work are also important to people.

“Sometimes it’s about creating the right workforce environment,” Cady Shilling said, noting many business owners are looking at ways to let their current workers know they’re appreciated.

Brosick said that’s something Construction Forms is taking to heart. In addition to tangible changes and the compensation packages, the company is “spending time and money being more transparent, educating our people on where we’re going and what we’re doing. We’re really investing in our employees.”

Said Port Washington City Administrator Tony Brown, who has been meeting with business owners with Mayor Ted Neitzke:  “The thing I’m struck by is the fact that companies can’t get people. There are jobs to be had, and pretty good-paying jobs, too.”

One of the biggest things they’ve heard is that transportation is an issue, Brown said, adding it is a need that may need to be addressed by the county.

Attracting employees for downtown businesses has also become a focus for Port Main Street Inc., Executive Director Kristina Tadeo said. 

Main Street recently posted a list of its member businesses that are looking for workers on its Facebook page and is working on a marketing campaign that includes testimonials about the benefits of working in downtown Port.

“This year it seems to be harder for businesses in terms of hiring,” Tadeo said. “It’s always a challenge, but I think it’s heightened this year because it’s very busy downtown. People are happy to be out and about, and that’s compounded the problem. Businesses would, I’m sure, like to capitalize on that but they want to be mindful of their staff and how stressed they are.”

Everyone is searching for solutions to the problem, but Cady Shilling said only one thing is certain.

“I wouldn’t say it’s going to be resolved any time soon,” she said.